Balasubramaniaswamy Vadachennimalai

Balasubramaniaswamy Vadachennimalai is a beautiful hill temple situated on a hill, locally called Vada Chennimalai. The hill is about 300 meters high and has a gradual ascent through 60 different segments of steps representing the 60-year cycle followed by devout Hindus. The climb is long but not difficult. A motorable road also goes up to the temple on top. At the base is a shrine for Lord Vinayaka. On the way up are mandapams for resting and a shrine for Idumban. There are also some nice idols of a man with Kaavadi, Muruga offering gooseberry to Avvaiyyar, and others on the way up. The temple on top has a 5 tiered Rajagopuram facing north. After this is a Prakaram that runs around the sanctums. In front of the sanctum sanctorum is a large and newly mandapam with provision for devotees to come in a line. There are three different forms of Lord Muruga here. The three sanctums are in one line facing west. In the middle is the one with Balasubramanyaswamy, the main deity in child form. On either side are one as a married Subramanya with his consorts Valli and Devyanai and another one as Dhandayudhapani, the ascetic. This is considered a very important aspect of Balasubramaniaswamy Vadachennimalai. The main deity of Balasubramanyaswamy is said to have been installed later before a Swayambu Idol which was the original main deity. The Lord appears with a turban on his head and a Rudraksha garland on his neck. Around the temple is a Girivala (circumambulation of the hill) path with an Avvayyar idol in the middle.